Internal combustion engine



July 17, 1934. E. M. KRAMER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 16, 1929 11 11101 Emil N. Kramer 32g} a,

Qfibmey Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Michigan Application July 16, 1929, Serial No. 378,623 6 Claims. (Cl. 123-25) This invention relates to internal combustion engines and is more particularly concerned with improvements in engines of this character wherein water or water vapor may be drawn into the engine cylinder, mixed with air' separate from and below another. mixture of gaseous fuel and air, the latter mixture being firedby a spark plug which projects into that part of the engine cylinder where the fuel and air are located.

The firing of the mixed fuel and air develops considerable heat which expands the water or water vapor within the cylinder and there is a great utilization of the heat and great production of power produced from the burning or exploding fuel and the products of combustion which are exhausted from the cylinder are exhausted at lower temperatures, showing the greater than heretofore utilization of the heat; and as a result the engine is run at lower temperatures so that it is capable of being run without a water cooling jacket, though, of course, the water jacket for the engine may also be used, and at times may be desirable should the engine be run only by using the mixed air and fuel, the same as any ordinary internal combustion engine, as this engine is capable of being operated.

An understanding of the engine and the results and advantages coming therefrom, may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyi g drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a transversevertical section through an internal combustion engine made in accordance with my invention, one cylinder only being illustrated, though it is to be understood that the invention is adaptable to a multiple cylinder engine, and,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevationpf the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing. In the illustrations shown, the engine cylinder 1 is a vertical cylinder of conventional construc-' tion in which apiston 2 is mounted for reciprocation, being operated by the crank shaft 3 of F the engine through the interposed connecting rod 4- secured to the-crank shaft at one end and to the piston wrist pin 5 at the other end.

The piston 2 has a head 6 'of. deeply concaved form providing a semi-spherical recess or chamher 7 in the upper end of the piston. The engine head, which extends over the cylinders, at its underside, is provided, as shown, with a depending substantially semi-spherical shell 8 which projects into the upper end of the cylinder. This shell is hollow thereby forming a chamber 9 between it and the engine head. The spark plug 10, threads through the engine head and the spark is produced in the chamber 9. The shell 8 is provided with a plurality of ports 11 through its sides as shown.

An inlet port 12 leads to the chamber 9 for carrying mixed air and gaseous fuel thereinto on alternate down strokes of the piston with an opening of the valve 13 which normally closes the passage to the port 12 when free to do so. Similarly a port 14 leads to the chamber 7 below the so, closes the port 14. The valves 13 and 15 are 7 interposed between ports 12 and 14, respectively, and inlet passages 16 and 1'7, the former of which is connected with any suitable carburetor for supplying mixed air and fuel while the latter is connected with any suitable apparatus for supplying air and water vapor.

The exhaust port 18, to one side of the inlet passage 1'7, as shown in Fig. 2, is of the usual construction in engines of this character. The

valves 13 and 15 and the exhaust control valve, 30

supplied at its lower end with the usual tappet.

The valve 13 has an upwardly extending stem 13a which is adapted to be actuated by rocker arm 20 pivotally mounted between its ends, the rocker arm being actuated by a rod 21 which engages against the cam shaft 19 at its lower end; while the exhaust valve is operated through a stem 22 similar to the stem 15a. The various tappets and valve springs disclosed are of a conventional structure and need not be specifically described.

Onone of the down strokes of the piston 2 mixed fuel and air is drawn through the port 12 into the chamber 9 after mixed air and water vapor is drawn through the port 14 into the chamber 7. On the succeeding up stroke of the piston the gases are compressed and the firing of the charge takes place at or about the upper limit of said up stroke of the piston; It will be evidentv that the mixture of fuel and air will be at the upper end of the cylinder even though on theintake stroke some portion of the mixed fuel and air chargemay be drawn through the ports 11. When the charge is fired and explodes, the piston will be driven down on its working stroke and the products of combustion passing through the ports 11 mingle with the mixed air and water vapor,

heat said vapor and expand the same with a resultant increase in the volume of working or expanding gases in the cylinder and an absorption of heat through the expansion of the water which is thus converted into energy. This permits a greater utilization of the heat units provided by the burning or exploding fuel than is present otherwise, and the exhaust gases forced out of the cylinder on the following up stroke of the piston are cooler. The engine runs at a cooler temperature and, in fact, does not need a water cooling jacket therefor, because of these features.

It is to be understood that the cams are located so that the valve 15 will open before the valve 13 and the water vapor and air will be drawn through the port 14 first or for substantially half the intake down stroke of the piston and then the valve 13 will be open for the other half of the stroke assuring that the lower part of the cylinder will be filled with the mixed water vapor and air and the upper part with mixed gas and air whereby they are maintained apart substantially until ignition takes place.

The construction described, while of simple character, is one of value. The consumption of fuel is lessened to a considerable degree and the engine operation is of a more flexible character similar to that of a steam engine with an elimination of vibration. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered com prehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having two inlet ports, one for the passage of air with more or less water vapor therein and the other for the passage of mixed air and fuel and valve controlled means for opening and closing said ports, whereby on the intake stroke of the piston one port is opened for the passage of air therethrough during a part of the intake stroke of the piston, said port then being closed and the other port opened for a portion of the remaining part of the intake stroke of the piston for the intake of the fuel, a dividing partition at the head end of the cylinder dividing said cylinderinto two chambers, the one between said partition and cylinder having the inlet port which passes the air leading thereinto, and the one between said partition and the head of the cylinder having the port which passes the fuel leading thereinto, said partition having openings through its sides connecting the two chambers.

2. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having a. hollow projection extending down wardly therefrom with ports through the sides 01' said projection, said projection being immediately above the piston when the piston is in its top position, said cylinder having two separately valved controlled inlet ports, one leading into the cylinder below said projection and one leading into the chamber inclosed by said hollow projection.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having an air port and a fuel port at its upper end, control valves for said ports, positive means for opening the valve over the air port during the first portion of alternate downward movements of the piston and additionalpositive means for opening the other of said valves during the remaining portion of said downward movement, whereby air may be first drawn into the cylinder and afterward fuel drawn therein, said positive means permitting an overlapping of the said valves for the purpose described.

4. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder closed at its upper end, a piston reciprocable therein, said cylinder having an inlet valve and a relatively long passageway leading from said inlet valve into the cylinder, a sparkplug located at some point along said passageway, a second valve leading into the cylinder, means to positively open the said second valve during the initial portion of alternate downstrokes of the piston,said second valve being suppliedwith water vapor, and additional positive means for openingthe said inlet valve following the opening of the said second valve, said inlet valve being supplied with an explosive mixture for the purpose described.

5. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein and means for first drawing in a mixture of water vapor on the intake stroke of the piston for a part of the length thereof and means for drawing in gaseous fuel for a portion of the remainder of said intake stroke, said means being positively operated whereby the mixtures are drawn into the cylinder under a minimum degree of agitation.

6. The process of obtaining maximum power from an internal combustion engine which consists in entering a charge of water vapor immediately adjacent to the piston, then entering the fuel above the water vapor, said fuel and water vapor being separated in separate and distinct units, compressing both of said mixtures without 

